Hackney Hear iPhone app launches Thursday 8 March

Hackney Hear – the trial users speak from Hackney Hear on Vimeo.

Thanks to Sam Bonham for the following post:

Hackney Hear iPhone app launches Thursday 8 March. Made by the award winning Hackney Podcast, this is a world’s first in sound and storytelling, right here in the borough!

Made by the Sony-Award winning team behind the Hackney Podcast, Hackney Hear works anywhere in London Fields or Broadway Market (London, E8). After putting headphones on, users can explore the area – standing still to hear more of each story or moving on to hear something new.

The phone app can be downloaded and used on location. Users can hear the stories of residents and local celebrities, as well as sound archive and new commissions from artists in the area.

Stories include:

• Writer Iain Sinclair unravels the layers of history in his beloved local park
• Performance poet Shane Solanki performs his ‘Lido song’ at Hackney’s outdoor swimming pool
• Photographer Tom Hunter tells tales of the 1980s Hackney squatting scene
• Local residents tell secrets behind their neighbourhood, from first kisses to gang etiquette

Francesca Panetta, founder of Hackney Hear, said of the app:

“We wanted to take listeners on an exclusive journey through this amazingly eclectic borough in east London – uncovering previously unheard stories, histories and personalities.”

“Hackney has the highest concentration of artists in the world, and we’ve selected some of the best across different genres to create works specifically for this app.”

The iPhone app is free to download and launches March 8 2012, coinciding with the start of an historic year for Hackney.

Hackney Councilor Jonathan McShane, said of the app:

“We are extremely pleased to welcome Hackney Hear to the borough. Its launch marks the beginning of what is set to be a fantastic year for the area.”

“Francesca Panetta and her team have collaborated with such a diverse range of artists, residents and local organisations, using sound and music to tell the wonderful stories of Hackney.”

“Moreover, Hackney Hear is a world’s first. Using new technologies and innovations in sound, Hackney Hear helps users to rediscover Hackney in a way that has never been possible until now.”

Hackney Hear is more than just an audio guide. The app uses “tri-sound technology” to ensure that listeners hear multiple combinations of words, music and sounds.

This innovation is the first of its kind and has already been shortlisted for the Radio Academy Techcon Technical Innovation Award 2011.

Hackney Hear will be holding a series of events throughout 2012. The team is currently looking for funding to expand the geographical area within which it covers, as well as launch an Android version

For all enquiries and interview requests please email press@hackneyhear.com.